Third-rail or other electrical conductor.



. W. J. J.

BURCH.

HIED RAIL OR OTHER ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR.

rn J.

APPLIGATION FILED JAN.7, 1907.

Patented 311.13 2"? 2 SEBETS-S noro-umocmwsas. WASHINGY W; J. J. BURCH.

RAIL OR OTHER ELEOTRIGAL CONDUCTOR.

APPLIGATION 17 THIRD ILED JAN. 7, 1907.

Patented July 27, 1909;. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

S PATENT QFFIE,

WILLIAM J. J. BURCH, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

THIRD-RAIL OR OTHER ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 27, 1909.

Application filed January 7, 1907. Serial No. 351,097.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM J. J. BURCH, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of the city of Chicago, in the county of Cool: and Stateof Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inThird-Rail or other Electrical Conductors; and I do hereby declare thatthe following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters ofreference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Heretofore for all practical purposes it has been usual when a thirdrail is used as the conductor for electrical traction purposes to setthe rail to face upwardly for contact with a downwardly facing shoesupported upon the car. In some instances, third rails have been partlycovered to protect the same from accumulation of sleet and snow andrain, which with unprotected conductors in some instances almost destroythe efficiency of the system. In some constructions heretofore where therail is covered separate standards have been required for the cover andfor the ail and the use of the cover is usually more or less dangerous,either because of possibility of injury to employees or the public whorely upon ineffective insulation of I the protective c vering. Usuallywith constructions of double track road heretofore, separate conductorsor third rails are required, one for each track, doubling the expensefor the conductors.

It is the object of this invention to provide a protective conductor ofsuch cross sectional form as to alford maximum contact surface for theshoes which engage partly beneath the same.

It is a further object of the invention to afford a construction wherebya single conductor disposed between the tracks of a double track road atequal distances from each track supplies current for the cars of each.

It is also an object of the invention to provide means for thoroughlyinsulatin protecting the conductor and to alford a constructionrequiring but little greater height than the track rail and by the useof which all danger of injury to employees or others is obviated.

It is finally an object of my invention to afford a construction whereinthe conducting cable, whereby the current is distributed illustrates amodified along the third rail, may be carried in close proximity with orupon said conductor ra1l and lnclosed 1n the insulating cover therefor,and branches taken therefrom as required.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter described and morefully pointed out and defined in the appended claims.

On the drawings: Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a deviceembodying my invention and illustrates the relative height of theconductor rail relatively the track rails. Fig. 2 is an enlargedfragmentary transverse section showing the conductor installed for adouble track. Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the conductorrail and its support. Fig. i is a partly oblique section taken on thetrack rail. Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 2 and form of the supportfor the shoe conductor. Fig. (5 is a fragmentary longitudinal section ofthe conductor shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a transverse section of theconductor when used for single tracks. Fig. 8 is a section showing thecovering or guard elevated above the conductor affording an air spacetherebetween.

As shown in the drawings: .i'h l t indicate the trucks as a whole whichare supported upon tracks aa, the inner rail of each of which only isshown. Itigidly secured upon the appropriate ties of the tracks arestandards B, placed suit-able distances apart. Each standard, as shown,comprises a flanged base 2), and an upwardly directed web 7) having itsgreatest width longitudinally of the tracks on which is provided anupwardly directed externally threaded central bolt 6 Secured on the topof each of said standards and extending downwardly on each side thereofis insulating mate "ial such as fiber or any other suitable material forthat purpose indicated by Q. As shown, also a washer c of insulatingmaterial is fitted around said bolt 6 The conductor rail, shown in Figs.1 to inclusive, is relatively broad and of suitable conducting material,and is provided on its under side with two central downwardly directedparallel flanges, between which said standards with the insulationthereon closely lit. Said flanges have their greatest width at saidstandards, and as shown, apertures are provided between said flanges toreceive the bolts 6 with their insulating sleeves 0,

therethrough, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. Beyond said flanges the rail issomewhat concaved on its under side to its edges and inclines downwardlyat each edge, and is convex on its upper side. Secured on the top ofsaid rail to fully cover the same is insulating material of any suitablekind. For this purpose asbestos, fiber or any suitable material may beused, and as shown the same is provided with apertures through whichsaid bolts 6 project. As shown, the conducting cable X, through whichthe current is supplied to the third rail is supported upon the rail, isthoroughly insulated and is also covered and further protected from theweather, by means of the insulating covering C, as before described.Current is supplied to said cable from any suit-able source.

In the construction illustrated in Figs. 5 to 8 inclusive, the rail D isprovided with parallel flanges cl which straddle the standards B, asbefore described. Said rail is provided at its top with laterallydirected and relatively thin narrow flanges (Z and the relative broadparallel flanges cl, are concave on their outer side to receive a shoe.Two of said bolts Z), are provided in each standard and are insulatedfrom the rail D, as before described. As shown, also a covering plate offiber or other suitable material covers the top of the rail and thecable X and a plate of metal F, of greater width than the rail, isengaged thereon by said bolts to protect the insulation.

In the construction shown in Fig. 7, but one side of the rail D isintended for contact purposes. In this construct-ion, but one flange clis required which bears against the standards and is insulatedtherefrom, as shown in Fig. 7, and the insulation G and the coveringplate F, is then secured over the top of said rail on the side oppositethe flange cl, thus entirely covering and protecting the rail from theeffects of atmospheric moisture and from other interference.

The operation is as follows: The standards are made relatively low andbeing rigidly secured on the ties to which the track rails are spiked,are maintained at all times in unvarying relation with the track whetherused for one or more tracks and whether the contact be from the underside and upwardly on the rail or upon the downwardly extending sideflanges. At all times the contact surface for the shoe is kept dry andfree from accumulations of ice or snow thus insuring the best possibleworking conditions. Furthermore inasmuch as moisture can not reach therail leakage of current due to wet weather, is obviated and the mosteffective application thereof is assured. 'The flange cl extendingbetween the standards prevents the shoe ever projecting inwardlysufficiently to strike the standard and in any event, from theconstruction of the contact surface on the rail, the truck may shiftconsiderably, transversely the track without in any way affecting thecontact and invariably in either construction, the shoe is positivelyheld in position to receive the current. In the construction shown inFigs. 5 and 7, directed lateral thrust is brought at all times againstthe rail by a shoe yieldingly supported thereagainst, and obviouslyvariation of the truck 011 the track vertically can only result inlifting the shoe upwardly, engaging the flange (Z or depressing itslightly when the shape of said flange d of itself tends to resist theshoe slipping too low.

Of course, if desired the standard B may be insulated as beforedescribed to receive the third rail D and an air space may be utilizedfor insulation, as shown in Fig. 8, by securing at a suitable distanceabove the third rail a second metallic rail or plate or other suitablecovering C this, of course,

need not be of insulating material as the dis tance will always besufliciently great to prevent loss of current therefrom.

Obviously though I have described somewhat specifically a. conductor orconductors embodying my invention, I do not purpose limiting thisapplication for patent as to details, as obviously many variations ofdetail will be necessary at switches and in yards and it is obvious alsothat if desired, the conducting cables may be carried upon the conductorrail but may be otherwise disposed. 7

Any suitable insulating material may be employed and of course, thecross sectional form of the rail may vary as may also the specificcontact. I therefore do not purpose limiting this application for patentother wise than necessitated by the priorart.

I claim as my invention:

1. A device of the class described comprising standards adapted to berigidly engaged to the trackcross ties, an insulating cap fitting onsaid standard, a rail provided with downwardly extending contactflanges, outwardly directed flanges integral with the rail, aninsulating covering supported by said outwardly directed flanges'and etending outwardly beyond the same and a covering for said insulation.

2. In a device of the class described a third rail of structural formhaving parallel downwardly directed, longitudinal flanges on the underside, standards supported upon the track cross ties, each having avertical web adapted to fit between said flanges, an insulating cap onsaid web, bolts extending from said standards upwardly through the railand insulated therefrom and an insulatin g covering for said railprojecting laterally and downwardly therefrom. V

3. In a device of the class described a third rail of structural formhaving central parallel, downwardly directed flanges, supporting meansengaged between the flanges, said flanges having concaved contact faces,outwardly directed supporting flanges integral with said rail and aninsulating covering thereon.

I. In a device of the class described a third rail of structural formhaving longitudinal flanges on its under side, said rail having concavedcontact faces to receive contact shoes, flanges integral with the railconvex 011 their upper sides, an insulating covering supported by saidflanges having a longitudinal groove therein and a supply cable in saidgroove.

5. In a device of the class described a third rail having parallelflanges, a support engaged between the flanges, means insulating theflanges of the rail from the support, an insulating cover for the rail,attaching means extending through the cover and rail and threaded intothe standard, means insulating the attaching means from the rail and asupply cable between the insulating cover and rail.

6. In a device of the class described a third rail of structural formhaving a concave c0ntact surface and a convex upper surface, a convexinsulating cover on said rail greater in width than the convex uppersurface of the rail and a protecting covering for the insulation ofgreater width than the insulating cover.

7. In a device of the class described the combination with the thirdrail of standards insulated therefrom and supporting the same, said railhaving laterally directed, thin flanges at the top thereof, aninsulating covering for the third rail, extending outwardly beyond theedges of the flanges, an electrical cable supported on said third railand insulated therefrom and covered by said insulating covering and ametallic covering for the insulating cover projecting outwardly beyondthe edges thereof.

8. In a device of the class described standards, each having a base tofit on a tie, an insulating cap for the standard, a metallic railfitting on said standards having a contact surface, an insulating coverfor the rail, a protecting covering therefor and means ex tendingthrough said covers and engaged to the standards for securing the coversand rail rigidly in place.

9. In a device of the class described supporting standards, aninsulating cap on said standards, a third rail having paralleldownwardly directed longitudinal flanges on the under side adapted tostraddle the supporting standard, and the insulating caps on thestandards, said rail being concaved on the sides, a relatively narrowflange on the top of said rail proj ecting beyond said longitudinalparallel flanges, an insulating covering for the top of the railprojecting beyond said upper flanges and a metal shield inclosing the sme and projecting outwardly and downwardly beyond the insulating coverand an electrical cable partly inclosed in said insulating cover andbeneath the shield.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presenceof two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM J. J. BURCH. Witnesses C. WV. HILLS, W F. FISCHER.

